New Businesses: Buckinghamshire

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many business start-ups took place in  (a) the town of Aylesbury,  (b) Aylesbury constituency,  (c) Aylesbury Vale District,  (d) Wycombe District and  (e) Chiltern District in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many business registrations for value added tax there were in  (a) the town of Aylesbury,  (b) Aylesbury constituency,  (c) Aylesbury Vale District,  (d) Wycombe District and  (e) Chiltern District in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: VAT registration data provides the only accurate indicator of the level of business start-up activity.
	The number of new VAT registrations in Aylesbury Vale, Wycombe and Chiltern districts and Aylesbury constituency are shown as follows for 2004 to 2006. Data for VAT registrations and de-registrations in 2007 will be available autumn 2008.
	
		
			  Number of new VAT registrations and VAT-registered businesses 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  New VAT registrations 
			 Aylesbury Vale district 705 715 740 — 
			 Chiltern district 420 425 440 — 
			 Wycombe district 695 670 695 — 
			 Aylesbury constituency 370 430 435 — 
			  
			  All VAT-registered businesses 
			 Aylesbury Vale district 7,300 7,445 7,575 7,785 
			 Chiltern district 4,735 4,785 4,855 4,950 
			 Wycombe district 7,835 7,880 7,945 8,075 
			 Aylesbury constituency 4,130 4,180 4,270 4,415 
			  Source: BERR National Statistics publication 'Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 2006' available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm 
		
	
	Although the number of new VAT registrations in each area has fluctuated between 2004 and 2006 the total number of VAT registered businesses has increased in all areas over the period. The stock of VAT registered businesses in the Aylesbury Vale district has increased by 485 (7 per cent.) between the start of 2004 and the start of 2007; in Chiltern district there has been an increase of 215 (5 per cent.); in Wycombe district there has been an increase of 240 (3 per cent.); and in Aylesbury constituency there has been an increase of 285 (7 per cent.).
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006.